Our Benevolent Masters, Part One

The SCL New York Times op-ed page gives us a new hero for social justice: Henry Ford:

IN the rancorous debate over how to get the sluggish economy moving, we have forgotten the wisdom of Henry Ford. In 1914, not long after the Ford Motor Company came out with the Model T, Ford made the startling announcement that he would pay his workers the unheard-of wage of $5 a day.

Not only was it a matter of social justice, Ford wrote, but paying high wages was also smart business.

The only thing missing is a tribute to Ford's visionary efforts on behalf of racial equality, religious tolerance and workers' rights.